


I Expect Better

by NoiseyLobster



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Bad Parent Jacques Schnee, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Just the barest hint of bumblebee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 23:20:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29741418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoiseyLobster/pseuds/NoiseyLobster
Summary: “I expect to hear better news going forward, Daughter. Do not make me regret allowing you to attend that poor excuse for an academy.”Weiss shuddered at the sound of the word ‘daughter’ on her father’s lips, a lifetime of venom and disappointment loaded into the word.It ends happy I promise.
Relationships: Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 6
Kudos: 80





	I Expect Better

**Author's Note:**

> RWBY is the sole property of Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I don't own any of this.

Dread sank like a coal in Weiss’ gut. She couldn’t stall much longer. Silence was expensive and judging by the way her father’s eye twitched as he spat out each successive word, Weiss wasn’t sure how much more _even she_ could afford. 

“I expect to hear better news going forward, Daughter. Do not make me regret allowing you to attend that poor excuse for an academy.”

Weiss shuddered at the sound of the word ‘daughter’ on her father’s lips, a lifetime of venom and disappointment loaded into the word. Not for the first time Weiss wished she were as strong as Winter. Winter would never just sit there and let their father berate her for something as small -- and easily corrected -- as a poor ranking on a recent round of exams. Winter would never crumple under the weight of his scorn, hiding her shaking hands under the folds of her skirt like some kicked puppy. 

She’d finished first every time before this.

Why did that never count for anything? 

Her father paused and for a moment Weiss sat horrified that he’d asked her a direct question while she’d been lost in thought. Thankfully his thoughts seemed drawn to the drink in his hand rather than her however. The amber liquid sloshed dangerously against the rim of the glass as her father drained it quickly and poured himself another. 

Whisky. It was always whisky. 

How quickly she was 8 years old again. 

Weiss could already smell the stench of stale liquor in the air, taste the bitter string of cigar smoke that billowed out from behind the impossible height of her father’s desk. She hated that desk. Hated the way it loomed over her, its shadow winding and twisting through her father’s own, warping into some terrible farce of the man. Hated the way its dark-stained oak sunk naturally into the recesses of the glum backdrop of the office, elongating her father’s already sharp features, stretching them until they looked predatory. 

“Do you hear me young lady?” Weiss knew that tone. Her time was up. “I expect to see immediate improvement going forward.”

_He couldn’t actually smell fear, could he?_

“I-I will-”

“Speak clearly girl!” her father snapped, his hand striking the desk before him with enough force to shake the scroll. Weiss had to smother a traitorous whimper in her throat. 

_Please God could she just not throw more gasoline on the fire._

“You are a Schnee. A Schnee commands. A Schnee leads. We do not mumble.” A pause, another sip of his vile drink. A threat, veiled and vague, would be next. Eyes on her hands, her knuckles as white as her hair but at last finally steady, Weiss could already hear the sneer dripping through his delivery. 

“Or do you need to be reminded?”

 _In Atlas._ The unspoken words burned the back of Weiss’ throat raw. 

“I haven’t forgotten, Father. I’ll do better. I promise.” 

“See that you do.”

The scroll went dark before Weiss could reply, leaving her sitting alone in the CCT Tower booth, trying desperately to steady her breathing. 

Reminded? What a ludicrous notion. No amount of wishing could change reality and too many lessons had driven that point deep. She was a Schnee. Schnees did not hesitate, they did not show weakness. 

They did not cry. 

Much less in public, surrounded by hundreds of people that the SDC could buy and sell like so much dust if her father ever had the barest inkling to do so. Was that her birthright too? To see people like that, if not today but...tomorrow? 

Sometimes she wondered what it would be like to be one of them. To come home to someone who--

Weiss shook her head. Those thoughts never lead anywhere good. She was a Schnee. Her family were Schnees. That was her life.

She would have to do better.

xxxxxxxxx

Weiss ran into Ruby in the library of all places. Weiss had been looking for any excuse to avoid going back to the dorms until she’d at least had a chance to collect herself and decided that, as long as she was being a coward, she might as well be a productive one. 

No sooner had Weiss stepped into the building however, then a blur of rose petals had surrounded her and...then Ruby was there, standing just a few feet away like she’d been waiting the whole time. Around them fellow students dodged stray rose petals and cast odd glances at Crescent Rose, still strapped to Ruby’s hip in the usual holster. While not expressly prohibited, it was certainly unusual for students to bring their weapons with them to places like this. Not that any of that mattered two lien to Ruby of course. No amount of protest could convince her partner that -- no Crescent Rose wouldn’t get lonely by ‘herself’ in Ruby’s weapon locker. 

Weiss frowned. Ruby looked cold. Then again Ruby tended to always look cold. Something about the way the paleness of her skin contrasted with the bright red everywhere else constantly nagged at Weiss, urging her to dump another blanket on the -- only recently -- taller girl. Weiss had given into the impulse once, covering Ruby with every blanket she could find in their dorm room, Yang and Blake’s included, while her partner laughed herself hoarse under a mound of _very well tucked in_ covers. Weiss smiled at the memory, a first for the day. 

_Leave that to Ruby._

At least Ruby also had the coat Weiss bought her. Ruby had declared it “Partner Adventure Day” some number of weekends ago, so Weiss had dragged her into Vale to buy some proper winter clothing...in between stops to a few bakeries she knew Ruby would adore of course. Ruby had long since outgrown everything she’d brought with her from Patch and Weiss was through with watching her partner’s forearms peek through her jacket’s sleeves. The jacket was a dark, vibrant red that matched the tips of Ruby’s hair perfectly. Weiss had grabbed it off the rack the second she’d seen Ruby’s eyes light up at the sight of it. 

And there it was again. Ruby along with it. 

Cheeks flushed like she’d been running, hair lit up in the spotlight of evening light shining in through the towering glass doors behind them, snow-dusted weapon still strapped to her side, Ruby looked every bit the hero out of a storybook come to life. Suddenly Weiss had difficulty swallowing. Ruby was waving at her now, her grin stuck somewhere half-way between embarrassment and concern. 

The collar of Ruby’s cloak was crooked and Weiss bit her lip. The urge to go straighten it was almost overwhelming. 

Weiss wished she could bottle this moment. Carve it out and keep it safe from the rest of time like some special thing just for them. She wished she could show Ruby just what she looked like to the rest of the world right then, rose petals still raining down all around her, her breath misting as she closed the space between then. Maybe then Weiss could make her realize. Make her believe. Make her understand that she’d been wrong all along -- terribly, awfully, inexcusably wrong. That Professor Ozpin had known what he was doing. That Ruby was every bit the leader her team deserved and more. Maybe if Weiss could just show her this...maybe then Ruby would finally understand how utterly exceptional she was. 

But wasn’t that always Ruby? As unassuming as she was kind. Unintended heroics and wild excitement, a force that poured into the space she occupied with so much energy and life that Weiss could practically feel the air buzz with it. Sometimes Weiss wondered if she’d ever really met anyone alive until she ran into Ruby Rose at Beacon that first day. 

She was such a contrast to Atlas, that some days Weiss wanted to sob in relief. 

_Later, while they were walking home, Weiss would ask what Ruby was even doing at the library._

_She hadn’t brought her books._

_“You mentioned you were going to talk with -- that you had a phone call today.” Ruby confessed softly, almost embarrassed. “You kinda always go to the library after when it's a bad one. I hoped it wouldn’t be but...I guess I figured that’s where you’d need me most?”_

_Weiss swallowed the Grimm-sized lump in her throat at that admission and squeezed Ruby’s hand. Ruby’s smile told her that she’d understood the message. Weiss wanted to cry all over again._

_“Dolt,” she mumbled. “You could have just waited for me at the CCT Tower you know.”_

_Ruby laughed, her voice airy and light. “Guess that would have been smarter huh? What would I do without you Weiss?”_

At that moment however, Weiss hadn’t processed enough to be at the point of questioning why Ruby was there. It was enough that she was. It was pathetic -- a small, weak thing emblematic of everything her father would mock her for. 

But Weiss was so tired. 

And Ruby was there. Her hair a mess, cloak still settled crooked on her shoulders and a bit of weapon grease marring the collar of her jacket, but so painfully real and alive that Weiss had to fight the urge to bury herself against her in the middle of the library entrance. Weiss hadn’t realized how badly she needed to see Ruby until she was right there, smiling at Weiss so gently it looked like Ruby was worried she would break. 

Weiss certainly felt like breaking.

Ruby gripped her wrist with a feather-light touch and -- with one final apology to the indignant librarian who was not pleased at all by the sudden influx of rose petals -- pulled Weiss into a corner of the library away from the bustle of students and noise of the front walkway. Weiss didn’t bother even pretending to fight against her. Instead she pushed down the surge of guilt that flooded her stomach when Ruby’s eyes widened in mild alarm at the lack of pretense and followed silently behind her partner.

“Weiss?”

They’d stopped. Ruby was holding both of her hands now, silver eyes wide with concern, focused on Weiss like she was the only thing worth looking at in the entire universe. Numbly Weiss realized she still hadn’t even said hello.

What had she ever done to deserve this?

Weiss had never been anything but awful to Ruby when they’d met.

“I--” Ruby already knew. Why was it so hard to confirm it? “My father answered.”

She was already crying Weiss realized with disdain. Pathetic. She couldn’t get our more than three words without coming to pieces like a child. No wonder her father--

“Weiss,” Ruby’s words were a whisper, her face full of nothing but compassion as she cupped Weiss’ cheek in her hand, thumb stroking softly under Weiss’ scar, wiping away stray tears. “Come here?”

Weiss didn’t even need to consider the offer before letting her weight sag into Ruby. Ruby was warm. She smelled like cinnamon and the flowers of her namesake and every second Weiss spent there tucked into her arms, the folds of Ruby’s cape wrapped around them like armor, made it harder and harder to believe it was possible for people like Jacques Schnee to exist. 

At some point Ruby had started playing with her hair, winding calloused fingers almost experimentally through the long strands of white. Weiss felt a protest build on the tip of her tongue, visions of disorder and tangles that would take ages to brush out dancing past her eyes. She let it die unspoken. 

Ruby was quickly becoming an exception to a number of things for Weiss. 

That frightened her sometimes.

But it also felt nice to let Ruby play with her hair. No one had done that since Winter back when they were little girls and Winter used to sit with Weiss before bed and brush it for her. It was something their mother had apparently done for Winter every night when she had been Weiss’ age. In another time.

“Thank you Ruby,” Weiss mumbled into her partner's shoulder.

Ruby laughed soundlessly, her frame shaking against Weiss. She could practically feel Ruby’s smile.

“What else are besties for?”

xxxxxxxxx

Weiss let Ruby drag her out of the library and with her to the cafeteria for dinner -- where Ruby and Nora got into a pizza eating competition that left Weiss feeling more sick than either participant. 

Two days later Professor Port announced a term paper would be due the same day as Professor Oobleck’s next exam and Weiss felt her eye twitch. She failed to notice Ruby exchange a nervous glance with Yang beside her.

She had so much to do.

xxxxxxxxx

“Staying up late again, eh Princess?”

Weiss jumped as the tall blonde’s shadow fell over the open textbook in front of her. For someone who made so much noise doing almost anything and everything, Yang could be surprisingly quiet at times. Too much time spent training with Blake lately, Weiss supposed. Normally she’d be grateful to Blake for helping tame the walking tornado that was her partner’s sister, but unfortunately the only practical effect of the change seemed to be occasionally scaring Weiss half to death.

No sense in letting Yang know that though. She’d probably find it hysterical. 

Or worse yet, do it more often.

“Yes I am and you should be as well frankly. I know you haven’t studied half as much as you should for the exam we have on battle tactics and strategy next week.”

“Eh that’s not for ages,” Weiss tried not to roll her eyes at the dismissive flip to Yang’s hand at the barest notion of studying. “Got plenty of time for that after a good night’s sleep I think.”

The sentence barely finished, Yang vaulted herself up and onto her bunk in an effort that would have been impressive if it wasn’t for the way the make-shift upper-bed shook threateningly under her momentum. Weiss gave a sympathetic look to Blake below, but found the quiet girl giggling softly at her partner's antics, seemingly with no regard to how close she’d come to getting crushed to death. 

There was no denying it. 

She was surrounded by idiots. 

“Weren’t you up late last night as well?”

It took every ounce of willpower to resist the urge to scream. Ruby as well. 

“Of course I was Ruby,” Weiss winced at how sharp her tone was, but God was she tired. She didn’t have the energy for Ruby right now. 

Turning to face her partner, Weiss’ stomach clenched in guilt at the downcast look on Ruby’s face. It wasn’t Ruby’s fault. She was just trying to be a good friend, like she always was. She hadn’t asked to team up with a Schnee. 

Weiss reached out and took Ruby’s hand, giving it an awkward squeeze. An apology lay heavy on her tongue, but Blake and Yang were still in the room and she had too much pride and too little courage to do better than a half-hearted smile. 

“I just have a lot of material to go over Ruby. I won’t stay up too late.”

It was a lie and Weiss knew it. Her stomach clenched again at how easily the smile came back to Ruby’s face at this pathetic excuse for an apology. It was probably enough for the dolt that Weiss would be going to bed soon. Holding a grudge, a specialty of the Schnees, seemed to be beyond Ruby. Weiss would never understand how it was possible for someone to be so kind.

Or how someone like that could want to be her friend so badly. 

“I’ll stay up with you then! What chapter are you studying?”

Weiss’ gaze snapped up in surprise. Oh God. If the blinding smile on Ruby’s face was anything to go by, the younger girl was actually serious. This was going to be a disaster.

It wasn’t that Weiss didn’t enjoy spending time with Ruby or even studying with her. But studying with Ruby was...an experience. A loud, distracting, sometimes befuddling experience that had more in common with herding cats than getting any actual work done. Most studying that Weiss had done with Ruby was long after she had personally mastered the material. Their study sessions tended to be more a matter of keeping her procrastination-prone, if sweet, partner from failing an exam.

Maybe she could convince Ruby to--

“Go downstairs if you’re staying up together.” Blake was glaring at the both of them from over her book, obviously still remembering the last time Weiss had stayed up late to help Ruby study. Ruby had eaten an entire bag of chocolate chips that night and no one, Blake and Yang included, had gotten much sleep after that. Weiss never knew how loud someone could fidget until she’d met Ruby. 

“That’s a great idea Blake. I can make some hot chocolate and we can grab a whole study room for ourselves!” Weiss slumped into her chair and surrendered to the inevitable. There was no use in dissuading Ruby once she got excited like this over something. Weiss would just have to make up the lost time tomorrow night. 

“Come on Weiss!”

Ruby was already half-way out the door, pajamas and all, clearly on a quest for hot chocolate. She hadn’t even grabbed her books.

It was going to be a very long night.

xxxxxxxxx

Something was wrong. Terribly, awfully wrong.

Ruby was studying. 

Granted she was on her third cup of hot chocolate and -- _somehow_ \-- second can of whipped cream, meanwhile Weiss had to fight back the constant urge to reach over and steady the knee that Ruby insisted on bouncing like an engine piston at full speed...but Ruby was studying. She was even being efficient about it. 

Ruby had gotten straight to work as soon as they’d found a study room, dividing up the remaining chapters Weiss had been planning to go over between them. As odd as it was for Ruby to take such an active lead in anything remotely related to academics, Weiss found herself agreeing fairly quickly with the arrangement. She’d been planning on working through her half as quickly as possible and then just taking whatever Ruby wasn’t able to finish as work for tomorrow. 

Instead Weiss spent the better part of the next two hours trying not to stare as her partner silently -- _silently!_ \-- took page after page of notes. They were actually keeping fairly even pace from the looks of it. Weiss had finished the last section of her chapters five or six minutes ago and, judging by the height of Ruby’s stack of notes, she was probably almost done as we-- 

“Aaaaaaaaaand done!” Weiss winced at the sound of Ruby’s pen slamming against the table as her partner threw up her arms in triumph. She didn’t have the heart to chastise the younger girl, even for what was a fairly clear violation of study room community policy. Ruby was beaming at her from across the table in a way that suddenly made it very hard to concentrate on anything at all. 

“How much more do you still have to do Weiss?” 

“I actually just finished as well.” Give or take a minute or two. With the way Ruby was smiling at her right now, it hardly seemed relevant who finished first. 

“That’s awesome!” Ruby cheered as she threw her hands up in celebration, as over the top and ridiculous at 1am as she was any other time of day. 

Dolt. 

“Wanna head to bed then? We can review and swap notes before class tomorrow maybe?”

That was...perfect actually. Who was this and what had they done with her partner? 

“That sounds fine with me Ruby...and thank you.” Weiss felt her voice grow timid at the admission. Schnees weren’t supposed to need help. But still...this was the most sleep she’d be getting all week and there was no way that would have happened without Ruby. “I really do appreciate it. All your help tonight I mean.”

Ruby got a funny look in her eye after that stumbling thank you. Normally Weiss considered herself pretty skilled at reading the open book that was Ruby Rose. But this expression escaped her.

Weiss had been expecting an embarrassed thank you or maybe an awkward attempt at deflection. Ruby had never been the best about receiving praise after all. That had always bothered Weiss. Sure Ruby had her...moments. Weiss had been there for the cookie in the nose incident after all. But Ruby also did so much for them -- for her. She deserved to hear thanks more often.

Even if ‘thanks’ was often a hard word for Weiss to say.

Ruby shuffled forward, suddenly shy and awkward, her textbooks still bunched under her arm, before tucking herself into Weiss’ side. Ruby’s free arm snaked back around her like a vice, pulling Weiss flush against her partner like Ruby was afraid she’d slip out from between her fingers like so much smoke. Weiss wrapped her own arms gingerly around Ruby in return, almost afraid that anything too sudden would spook the younger girl. 

Time passed slowly. Eventually the lights in the room -- motion activated to preserve energy the way most were in the dorm common areas -- clicked off. Weiss was surprised how comfortable the dark felt -- quiet, small and still -- Ruby’s warmth still radiating into the open air of the room. Ruby seemed to feel the same because she made no motion to fix the lights. 

In the dark, the scent of roses and sun-washed red cotton was almost overwhelming as it mixed with the lingering sweetness of long-drank hot chocolate and the ever-present smell of gunpowder that hung on them both. Cut off from visual distractions, Weiss found it suddenly very difficult to think of anything other than how soft the red tips of Ruby’s hair were as they pillowed against her cheek. 

Eventually it registered that Ruby was talking, mumbling something unintelligible into her hair. Trying her best to be soothing, Weiss rubbed small circles along the length of Ruby’s back, trying to coax her out of the vice grip that Ruby currently had her wrapped in. At least enough that Weiss could hear what she was trying to say. 

“Ruby?” The question hovered in the silent room, feeling almost intrusive. Where was Yang when Weiss needed her? Yang was good at this type of thing. “Are you...ok?”

_Great job Weiss. A+ material there._

“Are you?” Ruby’s voice came out soft and oddly raspy, full of none of the bubbly excitement that usually characterized whatever she did. This side of Ruby wasn’t entirely foreign to Weiss, but it was still rare to see. A memory tickled at the edge of Weiss’ thoughts, soft and sparkling with the scent of the light rain from that day. They’d been hunting with Professor Oobleck. He, Yang and Blake were already asleep, exhausted after cleaning out a horde of Grimm who’d migrated too close to Vale’s walls for the Academy’s liking. She and Ruby had sat up for hours, both far too tired to find sleep. Instead they’d huddled around the campfire for warmth, Ruby tucked against her side, her cloak spread across both of them like a blanket. 

They’d talked about Summer that night. Weiss had never known Ruby’s voice could sound so soft. 

Weiss felt Ruby stir against her, clearly unhappy with the lack of response to her question. Ruby had never been good at letting things go. Silver eyes were already staring into her own, determined and dug in. 

Sometimes Weiss wondered what she would have been like if she’d met Ruby earlier in life. 

“I’m--” she started to lie, but the words died on her throat at the look in Ruby’s eyes. “It’s just -- I’m a Schnee Ruby. My family...expects things.”

The words sank into the empty space of the study room, heavy and thick with implication and a lifetime of hurt. Summer hadn’t been the only thing they’d talked about that night. 

Eyes flashing with sympathy, Ruby tucked her head back into the crook of Weiss neck and hung on tighter, her fingers tracing little patterns against Weiss’ spine like that could solve all the problems in their world.

“I’m sorry.” Ruby’s breath pooled against Weiss’ skin and she had to fight back a shudder. Suddenly Weiss was uncomfortably aware of just how hot the room was, the middle of winter or not. Had Ruby always been this warm?

“It’s--” Weiss had never had the words to talk about this properly. Maybe that’s why it was so easy to open up to Ruby about her family. Ruby never seemed to care if Weiss picked the right words. “It’s just--”

“Hard?” Ruby offered.

Weiss let out a little laugh at that, her voice wet with the same tears that had been threatening to spill out all week. She could practically see Ruby’s small smile at the sound. 

“Yes. That’s -- I’d say that just about covers it.”

“You don’t have anything to prove to him you know.” Weiss glanced down in surprise at Ruby, but the younger girl refused to meet her eyes. “You’re already amazing. What does it matter what he thinks? He’s wrong.”

“I wish it were that easy Ruby. Especially after last time, I have a lot more work to do before I can think of calling myself--”

“Third Weiss,” Ruby's voice thrummed with tension, her shoulders setting in like she was about to heft Crescent Rose into battle. Weiss wrapped her arms around her partner tighter, giving her what she hoped was a reassuring squeeze. She really was no good at this. “You finished third. On one exam. Yang would think I was cheating if I ever placed that high.”

Weiss smiled sadly. It wasn’t reasonable for Ruby to understand this.

“It’s different Ruby. I’m a--”

Ruby didn’t let her finish. A pair of warm lips pressed against her own ensured that. Abruptly Weiss felt every thought in her head go inexplicably blank and for a moment nothing else existed but Ruby and the delicious, intoxicating heat of her body against Weiss’ own. At some point it occurred to Weiss that she was kissing Ruby back, her lips moving unsteady in the unfamiliar territory. 

Kissing Ruby was nothing like she’d imagined and it was over quicker than she could register, leaving them huddled together, Ruby’s textbooks long discarded on the floor, foreheads pressed against each other, both panting for breath. Ruby had little tears in the corner of her eyes as she smiled. She looked so perfect standing there, tired, beautiful and so happy. Everything else looked silly and small. This was what she was here for, Weiss realized with a certainty that was as definite as it was unfamiliar: to keep Ruby smiling like that. If life had a purpose, that was hers.

“You’re already amazing Weiss. I promise.”

Staring back into Ruby’s eyes, silver sparkling brilliantly in the dark, her lips still flushed and faintly swollen, Weiss could almost believe her. She looked at the girl in her arms, brimming with hope and faith that she’d never done a thing to earn and smiled back before burying her face back into Ruby’s hair, breathing in the scent of roses and her shampoo. 

Somewhere, some quiet thing buried deep inside her started to relax for the first time in what felt like a lifetime.

“I’ll try,” she mumbled, trying to believe the words with a fraction of the faith Ruby seemed to have in them. 

Once again, she could practically feel Ruby’s smile. 

“Deal.”


End file.
